1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a linear stroke electromagnetic motor having a movable internal mass that is caused to move selectively by the application of electrical signals to external coils to create an electromagnetic force on the movable internal mass to produce a desired low frequency sound or strong variable vibration or to drive a solenoid like apparatus proportionally to the applied signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes various linear stroke electromagnetic motors. An early such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,311 (hereinafter '311), issued Sep. 17, 1985 and entitled LONG LINEAR STROKE RECIPROCATING ELECTRIC MACHINE. This device includes a cylindrical air gap defined between outer and inner gaps defining surfaces, at least one of which has a length equal to the length of an electric coil plus the length of the stroke. Additionally it includes a flux focusing ring, having a length in the direction of movement equal to the length of the coil in the same direction that concentrates substantially all the field flux and all of the electric coil turns to interact over the entire stroke.
Another device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,336 (hereinafter '336), issued Jul. 27, 1993 and entitled ACTUATOR FOR ACTIVE VIBRATION CONTROL. Disclosed here is a device that may have either a moving coil or a moving magnet with the moving element undergoing reciprocal motion in response to an electrical input signal. The device described in patent '336 employs a centering shaft that extends through the center of the actuator to radially center the moving element. Additionally, the longitudinal return force on the moving element depends on mechanical springs that are located around each end of the centering shaft. The use of springs in this design, requires frequent service as the spring constant tends to change with time. Additionally, as the moving element moves the springs tend to make noise that is audible when the actuator is in use making application of this device unacceptable in an audio system as a low frequency radiator. Also, if the actuator is mounted vertically with the centering shaft oriented vertically, the weight of the moving element will exercise an uneven load on the springs. The weight of the moving element thus will cause the moving element to partially compress the lower spring and cause the moving element to assume a position that is lower than the desired centered position when at rest which causes the magnet and the actuation coil (voice coil in audio applications) to be offset one from the other. This misalignment will create heat, reduction of performance and possibly destruction of the actuator.
Another representative prior art publication is U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,592 (hereinafter '592), issued Jun. 13, 1995 and entitled ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSDUCER. Disclosed here is an electromagnetic actuator that includes a first assembly, a second assembly disposed for relative movement with respect to the first assembly and at least a first flexure interconnecting the first assembly and the second assembly. The first assembly includes a core having a first magnetic pole of a first polarity and a second magnetic pole of a second polarity. The second assembly includes a conductive electric coil having a first coil portion and a second coil portion. The first magnetic pole is in a facing relationship with the first coil portion and the second magnetic pole is in a facing relationship with the second coil portion. The first coil portion and the second coil portion are arranged so an electrical current in the coil develops additive flux current products at each of the first coil portion and the second coil portion. Further one of the first assembly and the second assembly includes a magnetic flux return path between the first coil and the second coil portion. The “flexure” in this design in simple terms is a spring and thus this design has problems that are similar to those described above with respect to patent '336.
A fourth representative prior art publication is U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,422 (hereinafter '422), issued Oct. 26, 1999 and entitled LOW FREQUENCY VIBRATOR. The device disclosed here has a stator member with a cylindrical, central chamber, a cylindrical tubular liner of low friction, non-ferromagnetic material positioned in the chamber to form a bearing and a cylindrical, ferromagnetic, reciprocating piston slidably mounted in the liner. The stator has a pair of coils and a permanent magnet is positioned centrally in the reciprocating piston. A ferromagnetic flux conductor surrounds the coils and extends between opposite ends of the chamber. This configuration creates a magnetic spring having a spring constant K with the ratio of K to the mass M of the reciprocating member, made substantially equal to the square of a radian frequency in the operating frequency range of the vibrator.
The preferred design disclosed by patent '422 depends on a metal or ferrite material being installed on the stator to center the slider. The metal on the stator and the magnet of the moving slider have the strongest force at rest. During operation, signals of lower force amplitude than the force that holds the slider in its stationary position are ignored. For example, if the ferrite and the magnet are held in position by a 10 lbs. force, signals that produce force amplitudes of 1 lbs. and up to 9.99 lbs. will tend to be ignored. An 11 lbs. force will lead to an acceleration that is not proportional to the input signal. These render this design a mere solenoid with an output of ON or OFF. Once again this design does not address centering during vertical mounting as gravity will offset the center slider causing it to have very poor performance, heat up and then malfunction.
These and other previous designs each include drawbacks to various applications of the device disclosed. Some require centering rods, and springs to bring the slider back to its neutral position. These complex designs produce spring noise, spring fatigue and require a complex assembly. Other designs to help center the slider included a ferrous ring fastened on the outside of the stator in between the two coils wherein the widths of the ferrous ring and the slider magnet have to be equal for precise centering. That design suffers from short strokes since the excursion of the slider is directly related to the distance between the coils. Another weakness of prior art designs is that they do not offer linear resistance to the slider throughout the path of movement, i.e., the further the slider travels from the center position, the less resistance there is in the direction of movement. These designs only help centering of the slider when in the non-actuated position with the vibration that they produce being non linear and devices designed in these ways simply providing little more than on-off type compliance.
The desired design is one that produces linear excursion as the piston floats freely throughout its travel between the two maximum ends of that travel and has fewer limitations produced by the centering technique employed when the piston is in the non-activated position whether the electromagnetic motor is mounted horizontally, vertically, or at any other angle. The present invention provides such advantages.